A group of Girl Scouts were seen selling cookies outside Chicago's Dispensary 33 on Sunday (Feb. 9). And with that, Illinois' $40 million in legal cannabis sales is no longer the biggest news driving cannabis stocks today.
In fact, this story is arguably much bigger than cannabis legalization or state cannabis tax revenue. It's about cannabis becoming normal.
And it could mean more than 110% growth for one cannabis stock this year...
Marijuana is on its way to becoming so normal that Grand View Research predicts it will be a $66 billion industry by 2025. Right now, that's more than a 400% leap from today's $13 billion.
It's easy to draw a line from political news to cannabis stock movement. But while the politics are important, it's cultural change that drives political decisions.
Today, we're going to show you the impact of culture on marijuana stocks. Then we'll show you the pot stock with the most to gain when the industry blows up.
Our top cannabis stock today is not just one of the best cannabis buy-and-holds around. It also has strong upside potential with the marijuana industry shocks coming our way. It even climbed 4.3% this week after the media caught wind of these Girl Scouts.
Why Cannabis Stocks Needed Girl Scout Cookies
It's a wild contrast for many still viewing marijuana through a taboo lens. But you might be surprised to find it's not the first time Girl Scouts have done this.
The New York Times reported a similar story last February, when a California Girl Scout sold around 300 boxes near a legal marijuana shop in six hours.
Of course, it was criticized by Girl Scouts across the country. A Colorado troop tweeted that they don't allow their Scouts to "sell cookies in front of marijuana shops or liquor stores/bars."
This year's Girl Scout marijuana story has been met with more smiles than last.
Last week, a different Girl Scout troop even set up in front of a liquor store to recommend alcohol-cookie pairings to passersby.
The fact that one of America's most traditional organizations, more than a century old, has warmed up to cannabis legalization so quickly is a great sign for the legal marijuana industry as a whole.
But the Girl Scouts aren't the only force normalizing cannabis. Well-known professional athletes endorse cannabis products for performance purposes: skateboarder Ryan Sheckler, Golfer Bubba Watson, NFL vet Rob Gronkowski, and NBA All-Star Paul Pierce. That's just to name a few athletes testifying to the power of cannabidiol (CBD) - the non-hallucinogenic hemp derivative.
On the adult-use marijuana front, Canopy Growth Corp. (NYSE: CGC) has partnered with several celebrities to promote its products: rappers Drake, Snoop Dogg, and Jay-Z; actors Seth Rogen and Whoopi Goldberg; and Martha Stewart.
But until now, adult-use cannabis hasn't had any major "family friendly" angle to the public eye. Controversial as it may seem, the Girl Scouts may have put the nail in the coffin.
Marijuana is becoming a part of everyday life.
And it means one of our top cannabis stocks is on its way to finishing the 92% run it started at the beginning of the year.
This marijuana stock has already gained 22% since January, Girl Scouts leading the way. But there is still a lot of juice left for investors who still want in - more than 50%.
We want to share this one with you while there's still time. In case you miss the window, we're sharing a 110% profit opportunity in another top cannabis stock as well...
Last Chance to Get This Cannabis Stock
[mmpazkzone name="in-story" network="9794" site="307044" id="137008" type="4"]
Regardless of anyone's moral objections to Girl Scout sales tactics (word is cookie sales are dog-eat-dog), public sentiment is moving pot stocks.
Innovative Industrial Properties Inc. (NYSE: IIPR) is up more than 22% for the month.
This is a major real estate investment trust that leases to cannabis growers and sellers specifically. We've been predicting its climb for a while now. And it hasn't disappointed.
Innovative Industrial plays a special role in the cannabis industry. Because of the looming controversy surrounding marijuana, many banks are still on the fence about working with cannabis companies, fearing legal ramifications. That's even if they're in a state where marijuana is legal.
So this company steps in. It's pioneering real estate for cannabis-involved companies across the country. And as a result, it has some competitive moats in the cannabis real estate business.
To close January, Innovative Industrial bought $10.5 million in real estate from Cresco Labs Inc. (OTCMKTS: CRLBF). Cresco is one most well-known marijuana companies on the rise in the United States, owning dispensaries in California, Arizona, and Chicago. It's also a cannabis stock we've talked about in the past, still with 110% growth potential.
Cresco currently has pending acquisitions in 12 states. The company is "vertically integrated in almost every industry" according to CEO Charlie Bachtell. So, with Innovative Industrial buying up land around the United States, this might not be the first time it crosses paths with Cresco.
Cresco is also up 7.9% on the week, so it's eyeing the average analyst target of $11.70 this year - a 110% jump from today's $5.55.
There is still time to gain 50% or more on Innovative Industrial Properties. But even if you miss this growth, Innovative Industrial offers a rock-solid 4.24% dividend yield, more than double the S&P 500 average. A definite hold as the cannabis industry ascends to record heights.
Action to Take: Innovative Industrial could still add 56% over the next year, completing a surge to 92% since January. That, in addition to 110% growth from Cresco, could start your cannabis portfolio on the right foot as the industry expands. Keep checking in with the National Institute for Cannabis Investors for updates.
No Prior Experience Needed to See Potential Profits of 626% or More in This Industry
Even if you don't know anything about investing... even if you've never put a cent into the stock market... you can perfectly position yourself to strike it rich in cannabis - and we're going to show you how. We're laying it all out for you in black and white in "The 2020 Pot Profits Roadmap." This is one book you're actually going to want to stay up all night reading. Find out how to get your hands on it now.
Follow Money Morning on Facebook and Twitter.
About the Author
Mike Stenger, Associate Editor for Money Morning at Money Map Press, graduated from the Perdue School of Business at Salisbury University. He has combined his degree in Economics with an interest in emerging technologies by finding where tech and finance overlap. Today, he studies the cybersecurity sector, AI, streaming, and the Cloud.